Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez, the former Texas Rangers franchise catcher who was inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame last year, said Wednesday he plans to open a family-friendly pizza restaurant at the Texas Live mixed-use district in Arlington, which is set to open in August.

Rodriguez' 5,000-square foot, fast-casual venue, offering "lots of different flavors of pizza," marks the second sports-celeb eatery to announce plans to open in the $250 million entertainment district backed by the Texas Rangers, The Cordish Companies and the City of Arlington.

Dallas Cowboys Hall of Famer Troy Aikman has announced plans for Troy's, a restaurant featuring music, gourmet burgers and specialty margaritas. The two restaurants will be part of a center that will dedicate most of its 200,000 square feet to dining and entertainment.

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Rodriguez, regarded as one of the best catchers of all time, said he plans to spend time at the restaurant, greeting fans and smiling for photos.

"The whole concept is to please all the customers and enjoy [the restaurant] with your family," said the 46-year-old who has five grandchildren. "I think the atmosphere is going to be great. ... Everybody loves pizza."

Rodriguez, who favors pepperoni and sausage pizza with a thin crust, has an ownership stake in the venue but officials declined to give the breakdown.

He said "the plan," eventually is to open additional locations, adding "we're going step by step, one by one."

Rodriguez's restaurant will be ready in time for the center's grand opening celebration Aug. 9-12 in the Arlington Entertainment District, across from Globe Life Park.

Taylor Gray, vice president of development for The Cordish Companies, said the presence of the two local sports greats will help Texas Live draw fans from up to 100 miles away.

"A lot of what we do is about [creating] a social connection," Gray said, as the crowd assembled at a midday news conference and snacked on samples of Pudge's "pick off" pizza, featuring pepperoni and mushrooms. "So the idea behind whether it's a Troy Aikman or Pudge Rodriguez is to allow a father to tell a son who their all-time greats were and to create this nostalgic sense of place, so it becomes special."

The decor will include memorabilia that will "give you that perspective on the greatness of Pudge's career," he said of the Puerto Rican-born All-Star.

Pudge's pizza will also be on the menu at some of the other restaurants in the complex, Gray said.

Gray said Texas Live is "100 percent leased," adding that up to five additional restaurants, some backed by well-known names, will be announced in the coming weeks.

None of the players to be named later, though, is another sports hero.

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Hall of Fame Texas Rangers catcher Ivan "Pudge" Rodri­guez showed off samples of pizza that will be offered at Pudge's Pizza, a restaurant at the Texas Live development during a press event at Globe Life Park on Wednesday. He joins former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman, who will also have a venue at the center which is set to open in August.

(Smiley N. Pool/Staff Photographer)

Samples of pizza that will be offered at Pudge's Pizza, a restaurant by Hall of Fame Texas Rangers catcher Ivan "Pudge" Rodri­guez at the Texas Live! development, are offered on a buffet during a press event at Globe Life Park.

(Smiley N. Pool/Staff Photographer)

Hall of Fame Texas Rangers catcher Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez emerges from a curtain behind a rendering of Pudge's Pizza, a restaurant at the Texas Live! development during a press event at Globe Life Park.

(Smiley N. Pool/Staff Photographer)

Signs are worked on at what will be the entrance to he Texas Live! development across the street from Globe Life Park on Wednesday, June 27, 2018, in Arlington.

(Smiley N. Pool/Staff Photographer)

But, prowess on the court or the field does not always mean success in the kitchen.

In 2009, Dallas Stars' standouts Mike Modano and Brett Hull opened the Hully & Mo Restaurant & Tap Room in Uptown. It closed after a few years.

At least three restaurants opened locally under the brand Randy White's Hall of Fame Barbecue, named for the former Dallas Cowboy defensive lineman and Super Bowl XII co-MVP they called "The Manster."

The restaurants' phone numbers and the brand URL were not functioning this week, and several travel Websites listed the locations as closed.